A course with no sand bunkers would be interesting.

In windy areas (e.g. LV) it makes a lot of sense because the sand blows away and the bunkers turn into concrete. Also many courses don't have the time/money/resources to manage bunkers well.

I'm sure naysayers would complain about the course looking too green, and removing an element of skill. But features such as high fescue can be added for contrast. And grass bunkers can easily be more difficult to escape from compared to sand bunkers.

substitute water hazards with waste areas filled with football-sized rocks that are considered unplayable hazards if your ball ultimately lands in one. less lost balls and none of the problems you get with water (mosquitos, alligators, water moccasins, water shortages, flooding, stench, etc.). some holes you could use slightly different colors of rock and it could look quite pretty.

ofc these could already be a thing but I can only think of one that I've ever seen.

Sheep Ranch uses grass bunkers because of wind scouring the sand.

Just because I'm curious:

For those who play different courses, how much (if at all) do you adjust your short game technique or equipment?

I played two completely different courses this weekend -- Saturday was super grassy. Thick, shaggy fairways. Long, juicy rough including around the greens. Greens a little on the soft side and running 9-10. Sunday, everything firm and fast. Closely mown most places, I didn't get into any rough around the greens. Firm, elevated greens running 11-12 with quite a bit of trickle.

Also seems like I should have changed my approach more than I did. I had more success on Sunday using a low bounce 60 degree wedge, which is not a tool I would consider a go to. Didn't use it at all on Saturday, in fact. For that course I mostly went with lower loft and more bounce. Saturday was inconsistent, Sunday was awful except on a couple shots with the 60. Anything with an 8i to 52 was pretty much a guaranteed fail.

Not sure if I need tips, practice or a lobotomy.

For us AM's I feel having a default shot is key, This will be a club you're very comfortable with and the type of shot you're very comfortable with also. You'll have to ask yourself when you have a particular lie/shot can you play your default shot. If no, You have to adjust. This maybe keeping the same club and playing a different type of shot or getting another club. What I will say is probably don't play a shot you haven't really practiced.

Right now for me, my default shot for pitching and chipping when the greens and the fairways are a bit firm is to have the idea that I want my ball to land on the green softly and have a bit of roll out (I say always land on the green as I don't want some random bounce which could potentially happen if I pitch before the green). For the most part this will be my 60 think I have around 10 bounce on it, I do feel though I am very confident with strike when pitching and chipping so I'll open it to about what I think is right for the particular shot.


One shot I struggle with is being in and around the greens and being in rough/semi rough where the grass is growing against me. I feel I've got better at it but not sure how. Mainly I'm just taking my 60 and opening up a little and making sure I'm keeping the speed, Not sure if that's the right way to approach it.

If you get comfortable with the Joseph Mayo steep AOA, forward shaft lean, low launch approach the grass conditions become a little less relevant for short game shots

I took a 3 hour short game lesson from Larry Rinker a few years ago. He taught me a super wristy technique, set up hands behind the ball and let the clubhead pass the hands on the way through. It took me a while to get the hang of it but its great now. I know it's counterintuitive, but I flop it off hardpan now. He is way against the "handle dragger" technique.

Mayo doesn't teach a handle drag, so much as just setting up with a forward shaft lean and getting weight forward to encourage a negative AOA (-10 or more), and controlling low point. Wrists release as normal.

You don't necessarily need to change technique, but there is just less margin for error chipping/pitching off and onto tight surfaces. You have to be very exact with contact, otherwise you'll be all over the place.

The biggest aha moment for short game came with a lesson with a pro.

With your wedges, regardless of how you manipulate the club face... If the club head is ahead of your hands at impact you will lead with the bounce and it will slide under the ball. If the club head is behind your hands it's the leading edge and you need to strike the ball first or it will just dig into the dirt and you chunk it.

if the bounce is exposed the margin of error is much lower on anything but the fluffiest of lies (including sand)

Yeah, it’s almost impossible to make proper contact off a tight lie with the hands behind the club head. I’m glad this seems to work for Zimmer but I’d be curious to see if his hands are truly behind the head.

Certainly might be a "feel vs real" issue going on where the head isn't truly ahead of the hands, but starting the release earlier gets it to a point where it feels like it's ahead and allows the bounce to work rather than the leading edge.

https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/20...outputType=amp

This is where I used to teach and fit. I think business is going to be brisk going forward.